The Mindfulness Shortcomings of 'Seinfeld's' Cosmo Kramer

If you’re a fan of the TV show Seinfeld, you certainly recall the characters Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer, and some of their dumb but funny antics. But there were times when they also offered a little advice into leadership. Do you remember the scene when Kramer thought he was spending too much time in the shower, so he started taking notes on how others showered, to hopefully fine-tune his routine into a masterpiece? Kramer wanted to be more mindful.

We all, in one way or another, perform a variation of Kramer’s research. We may not go to the extremes that he did, but we always look for ways to improve our productivity at the office. We purchase the latest apps for our phones with the hope they’ll provide us clarity and help us produce more quality work. We believe the app will set us in the right direction for a more meaningful routine. 

But the best app lies within ourselves when we become more mindful of the different facets of our lives. When we are consciously present, regardless of the task, we produce high-quality work. Think of a time when you achieved something valuable to your personal and professional life. You were in a zone, had zero distractions, and your focus was at an all-time high. But not everything we attempt gets this type of focus — even though it should. 

A recent Harvard study indicated that almost 50% of a person’s day is spent lost in some random thoughts or distractions. We tend to daydream or put our minds on autopilot, which keeps us from being fully engaged. This autopilot behavior is a false trap. We convince ourselves we can “do the job with our eyes closed” because, in some ways, we do. But by doing that, we miss other opportunities. 

Had Kramer studied how to become more mindful, he would have learned the following:

1. Practice being present. Spend at least 15 minutes a day without any interruptions to ourselves or our surroundings. Let’s appreciate the details in our lives, which will then allow us to find details in our work. 

2. Slow down. When we slow down our work process, we get more done. Let’s not rush. Let’s be fully engaged in what lies before us.

3. One task at a time. We can have a thousand action items, but can only do one at time. There are no back burners. Let’s not start something unless we plan to finish.   

4. Spend time away from our phone. Let’s start with an hour a day; then, next week, get two hours in, and before long, we will realize how much non-important time we waste checking for calls or texts.

Kramer never found the perfect shower routine, but he could’ve discovered how to become more mindful. Let’s not make the same mistake.

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